Setting back the cause of bisexual activism ten years

Nottingham BiCon had the same number of attendees as this year's. It also had several thousand quid in sponsorship from a government health promotion body.

There was a weekly mixed bi social/discussion/activism night in London: a vibrant LBG attracting forty or more people a week.

There was a weekly mixed social night in London: the popular Bisexuals at Partners.

There was a weekly women-only night in London: the LBWG.

There were a couple of other groups in London, including BiONIC, the group into direct action - SM-Bis was just about to start (Jan 94) - and probably more groups around the rest of the UK than now.

There was a national newsletter that published monthly and had a higher number of subscribers than BCN does now.

There was a London newsletter.

There were two bisexual phonelines, between them covering three nights a week.

There was an community organisation on sexual health for bisexuals.

The government-funded body charged with health promotion published Bisexuality and HIV prevention: a working document on needs and provision.

We saw one of the best books on the subject published, Women and Bisexuality, actually get into general bookshops, along with the almost as good Dual Attraction: Bisexuality in the Age of AIDS.

... and probably a pile of stuff I've forgotten, including a couple of other things that came out of the 1991 conference.

Yep, I could live with that.

Absolutely yay that this year is looking better than it did at the start, for the things we have now that we didn't then, and for the people who've made both of those happen... but in some senses, we're still not back at where we were ten years ago, are we?